1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data system and more particularly to a memorial data system for providing information regarding an object.
2. Background of the Invention
Memorials of persons, places or events are traditionally honored with a physical reminder of the past. With memorials of deceased persons the common memorial is a tombstone, engraved, but with very limited information thereon. Busts or statues of persons, both living and deceased are often displayed to remind the visitor of the person. Again, only a limited amount of information may accompany the person's likeness. Plaques are generally used to memorialize the significance of a place or an event, and again, only a limited amount of information may be displayed.
The common deficiency with these memorials is the limited amount of information that may be provided to the visitor of the memorial. As years pass, memories of the person, place or event fades and is therefore lost to the new visitor to the memorial. The need for a system capable of providing an unlimited amount of information is well established.
The memorial visitor must be able to easily access the information without interfering with other visitors, some of whom may not be interested in the detailed information.
The available information may be in text, audio, still photo or video form. The information available to the visitor should be off site in order to allow the person(s) providing the information the ability to easily modify the available information
Some in the prior art have incorporated computer based systems with limited success. The use of near field transmitters to trigger some systems has also shown promise.
There have been many in the prior art who have attempted to solve these problems with varying degrees of success. None, however completely satisfies the requirements for a complete solution to the aforestated problem. The following U. S. Patents are attempts of the prior art to solve this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,978 to Mindrum discloses a user interface on a computer system which displays information about an entity, such as a person, a business, a pet, a country, etc. The screen is associated with the entity. A plurality of recordations are associated with the entity. The recordations are of at least two different types and are associated with the period of time. A plurality of selection mechanisms are on the screen. Each of the selection mechanisms are associated with at least one type of recordation. A time selection mechanism is adapted for selecting a period of time. The time selection mechanism is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations and is operative to present one or more recordations which correspond with the selected period of time. The user interface can be accessed over a computer, either as a stand-alone or over a network, whereas on a memorial such as in a headstone
U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,101 to Kennedy discloses an internet-facilitated system and method for retrieval of ancestral information relating to a deceased person. A medallion is permanently attached to a gravestone at the gravesite of the deceased person. The medallion bears viewable indicia including an identification number (I.D.) facing outwardly when the medallion is permanently attached to the gravestone. The I.D. is assigned is unique to the deceased person. A host computer database is configured to include ancestral information related to the deceased person retrievable via the Internet from a remote personal computer (P.C.) terminal. The information typically includes known ancestors, descendents, family history genetic/DNA profiles and exact geographic location of the gravesites of each of the deceased persons subscribed to the system according to each particular I.D. whereby individuals interested in obtaining the ancestral information with respect to a particular decedent, once knowing the particular I.D. on the medallion affixed to the gravestone, may do so by accessing the database via the internet from the remote P.C. and referencing the particular I.D.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,126,481 to Vesikivi, et al. discloses Systems, devices and methods for providing dynamic tailored product information to mobile terminals as a result of reading short-range wireless communication tags, such as RFID tags. The invention is able to provide consumer related product information to consumer operated terminals and retailer related product information to retailer or employee operated terminals, without requiring separate transponders or unique reading devices. In addition, the invention is able to accomplish providing dynamic information in a highly efficient and user-friendly manner and without requiring additional memory at the tag level.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,120 to Mindrum discloses methods of providing a registry service and a registry service. A remote storage location houses information regarding an entity or an event, and from time to time the remote storage location receives information regarding the entity or the event. Further, a string associated with a good identifies the storage location, whereupon remote access to the storage location may be achieved, if a proper access level is present. Moreover, a registry service includes an identifying string located on a good along with a tag that uniquely identifies an entity or an event. The service controls storage, which is logically segmented and associated with the tag, and an access set of executable instructions is operable to provide remote access to the logically segmented storage using identifying information to determine the tag. Information regarding the entity and event may also be warehoused such that specific data regarding the entity or event is retrievable remotely upon a request
U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,225 to Mindrum discloses a user interface on a computer system which displays information about an entity, such as a person, a business, a pet, a country, etc. The screen is associated with the entity. A plurality of recordations are associated with the entity. The recordations are of at least two different types and are associated with the period of time. A plurality of selection mechanisms are on the screen. Each of the selection mechanisms are associated with at least one type of recordation. A time selection mechanism is adapted for selecting a period of time. The time selection mechanism is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of recordations and is operative to present one or more recordations which correspond with the selected period of time. The user interface can be accessed over a computer, either as a stand-alone or over a network, whereas on a memorial such as in a headstone.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,433,649 to Toulis, et al. discloses a tag which can be associated with one or more individuals and/or a connection to a predetermined network resource, and which can be used to facilitating interaction of the wireless communication device with the corresponding individual(s) and/or resource. The tag includes a transmitter and a storage element including an ID value, which associates the tag with the individual(s) and/or resource. In at least some instances the tag will additionally include a trigger element, such as a user actuatable switch, which will enable an action to be initiated in the nearby wireless communication device, relative to the associated individual(s) and/or resource, in response to an actuation of the trigger element in the tag.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,609,506 to Aguirre discloses a multimedia player used in conjunction with a grave marker to pay tribute to a decedent. A main body portion of the player supports an opaque solar panel portion that also provides a barrier protecting a video screen on the main body portion of the multimedia player from sunlight damage. The solar panel is hinged as a door over the screen and has a wireless interface to a memory card player of the main body portion. The solar panel provides a recharging voltage via the wireless interface to the electronics module to recharge a lithium ion battery that powers the multimedia player. A flash memory reader contains the tribute on a memory card of any format.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,344 to Mindrum, et al. discloses a method and system for creating a commemorative presentation. The subject of the commemoration can take a variety of forms, including living or deceased individuals, organizations, entities, companies, cities, and the like. A plurality of images are compiled related to the subject. Configuration data is created relating to the display of the plurality of images. The plurality of images and configuration data are stored in a datastore. A video is dynamically created by accessing the plurality of images and configuration data stored in the datastore and sequentially displaying the plurality of images stored in the datastore in conformance with the configuration data stored in the datastore. While the invention has utility in a number of different applications, one particularly well suited application is in the death care industry for creating commemorative videos for the recently deceased
U.S. Pat. No. 7,657,835 to Mindrum, et al. discloses a method and system for creating a commemorative presentation. The subject of the commemoration can take a variety of forms, including living or deceased individuals, organizations, entities, companies, cities, and the like. A plurality of images are compiled related to the subject. Configuration data is created relating to the display of the plurality of images. The plurality of images and configuration data are stored in a database. A video is dynamically created by accessing the plurality of images and configuration data stored in the datastore and sequentially displaying the plurality of images stored in the datastore in conformance with the configuration data stored in the datastore. While the invention has utility in a number of different applications, one particularly well suited application is in the death care industry for creating commemorative videos for the recently deceased.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,671,902 to Mindrum, et al. discloses images captured at a venue and relating to one or more patrons of the venue incorporated into one or more products in accordance with image selections and/or product selections made by the patron(s). The images may be captured at venues with a variety of image capture devices such as pre-mounted cameras, cell phones, cameras brought by patrons to the venue, or cameras provided to patrons by the venue or another entity. The patrons may obtain products such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, prints, slideshows, or other products incorporating one or more selected images. Patrons may also view the images on portable electronic devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,756,467 to Bent, et al. discloses a wireless communication device including a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, a transceiver, and a controller. The NFC interface receives data related to multimedia content from an external NFC tag responsive to establishing an NFC link with the NFC tag. Based on the received data, the controller establishes a communication link with a multimedia server via a wireless communication network, and controls the multimedia server to download information associated with the multimedia content to a user-specified destination device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,984,380 to Mildrum discloses UnitBook definitions which can be dynamically created based on content provided by a user. Such dynamic creation can include organization of user-supplied content into appropriate form, adjustment of book cover properties to match the user-supplied content, and verification that the user supplied content is appropriate for presentation in book form. Various interfaces can also be provided which allow users to generate a book definition based on a minimum of information.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,326,281 to Hill discloses a wireless communications system which may include a near field communication (NFC) reference device configured to store object reference data for at least one object associated with a geographic location of the NFC device. The wireless communications system may also include a mobile wireless communications device that includes an NFC transceiver configured to communicate with the NFC device based upon proximity thereto, an image sensor, a display, and a controller. The controller may cooperate with the NFC transceiver, the image sensor, and the display. The controller may be configured to determine a sensed image from the image sensor. The controller may also be configured to select object reference data for the sensed image based upon communication with the NFC reference device, and display the object reference data and the sensed image on the display
U.S. Pat. No. 8,433,722 to Shin, et al. discloses an objection identification system including a virtual object database (DB) in which a plurality of virtual objects is stored and a target virtual object. The virtual objects includes an attribute data set including an attribute value of a real object and a service data set including a service data related to the real object. The target virtual object determining part receives a real object identification data of a target real object previewed by a terminal to compute an attribute value of the target real object, and determines a virtual object having an attribute value matched to an attribute value of the computed target real object of plural virtual objects stored in the virtual object DB as a target virtual object. In this case, a service data included in the service data set of the determined target virtual object by the target virtual object determining part is transmitted to the terminal. Thus, it may provide Internet type based on a real object over a conventional Internet concept handing a virtual object. In addition, easy and intuitive wireless Internet environment may be realized, and various Internet service and new higher value-added business may be created.
United States Patent Application number 2003/0120745 to Katagishi, et al. discloses the present invention which makes possible smooth acquisition of product information from a server over a network and display of the information. A product is provided with an RFID. When the user operates a cellular phone to read information from the RFID, the phone calls the RFID by transmitting RF waves to it. Upon receiving response data from the RFID, the cellular phone extracts a server access address and product ID from the data without awaiting the user's instructions to acquire information, and automatically accesses the product information server, based on the server access address. The information acquired from the product information server is displayed on the cellular phone screen. Thereby, the user can promptly have the information about the product.
Although the aforementioned prior art have contributed to the development of the art of providing comprehensive amounts of information at memorial sites and elsewhere, none of these prior art patents have solved the needs of this art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the dissemination of unlimited amounts of information at a memorial site.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus that is simple for the operator to use.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus that is easy to cost effectively produce.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.